Damsel?
by WashiStar
Summary: Rivaille wasn't one for eating people, let alone virgin girls. He didn't know what in God's name made those damn villagers think that he enjoyed doing something like that. Not that he was planning on eating the sacrifice and not that he minded, but their offering wasn't a girl after all. (No longer a oneshot. It's all thanks to your support. :D) [Rating has changed to M.]
1. Chapter 1

Something hard was digging into his back. _What the hell was on his bed?_ He tried shifting to the side to relieve the feeling, but only made the sensation worse when he felt it pressing harder into his spine. It was then he remembered what had happened and sucked in a huge breath of air, eyes opening widely.

* * *

"No! I refuse to let you do this to Mikasa!" He screamed loudly, adamant on protecting his younger sister.

Grisha gazed at his son with a grave expression. "I'm sorry, Eren. We have no other choice. The whole village has decided on this. It has to be done."

Eren stared back at him, disbelief evident in his eyes. _Was he fucking serious?_ "What the hell is wrong with you? She's your daughter for God sakes! And she's my sister! How could you even agree to something like this?"

Ever since Eren's mother had died, his father hadn't been the same. He had become more distant, more withdrawn. All he did nowadays was focus on collecting herbs and materials for God knows what kind of medicines he was working on. Sometimes Eren saw his dad sitting by himself with a crazed look on his face just staring at his chemicals. It was moments like these that he worried for the safety of his sister and himself.

His father just sighed and looked at him as if he were a mere child, unable to comprehend even the simplest of things. "It is for the wellbeing of everyone in the village, you included. Think about it. One sacrifice for the sake of an _entire_ town. It's well worth giving up one child. Besides, she's agreed to do it since doing so will also protect you."

"But…!" Eren was getting frustrated and words seemed to fail him.

"No more arguing! We are offering her to the dragon and that's that!"

He became desperate and blurted out the first thing that came to his head. "Use me instead! Anything…" Eren's voice cracked and his throat constricted, making it difficult to breathe. "…anything…just not Mikasa." The thought of losing his only sister was unbearable.

Shock registered in his father's eyes for s split second before he spoke up slowly. "That would never work. We need a female, which you are obviously not, if you have forgotten that fact." Fingers found his chin, index above and thumb underneath, as he took a moment to appraise his son. The boy had his mother's eyes… "Well, maybe it could work after all. Mikasa is more useful to me than you are, anyway."

_Ouch. Thanks a bunch, **father**._

The two had an unacknowledged staring contest until Eren's father broke the silence. "Alright, then. Tomorrow afternoon you'll be dressed up and taken up the mountains to the dragon's den. I'll talk to the villagers but I'm sure they wouldn't mind the switch."

"Really? You'll agree to this?" Disbelief was evident in his voice.

"Yes, now get to bed. You're going to have a big day tomorrow."

Eren took this as his cue to leave the room as quickly as possible. The door farthest down the hall was the one to his sister's room. She was already fast asleep, but he needed to speak to her. Carefully, he opened the arched wooden door and slipped inside.

The room was relatively small, just like his own. Next to Mikasa's bed was a moderately sized nightstand which he had put together himself with straight cut logs for the sides and a flat board for the top. On top of the stand was a tiny oil lantern whose flame flickered gently, washing the room in a soft yellow glow. Leaving the lantern on at night was wasteful and dangerous, but Mikasa couldn't sleep without it after their mother died. He had relented to her whims, making sure to check up on her every night to see that it hadn't caught the room on fire.

"Hey, Mikasa. Wake up." He whispered quietly so that he wouldn't scare her. He brushed the back of his hand across her forehead and swept back her ebony colored bangs as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Mmm…Eren? What are you…doing here? Is…something wrong?" Her drowsiness was evident in her speech.

"Come early morning, we're going to leave here. Just…come with me. You don't have to be a sacrifice. You don't need to give yourself up for these people. We'll run away together. Just the two of us." He tried to speak as calmly as possible so the news he was telling her wouldn't cause too much shock. _I'll be damned if I let that fucker offer me up. He had agreed to the switch so easily and even put in a snide comment. That bastard._ There was no way Eren was leaving Mikasa alone with a psycho like him.

"Wha…are you sure? Is it okay just to abandon the village like this?" Though she felt some reluctance at the thought of leaving, the only person she truly cared for was her brother. She would go to the ends of the Earth for him. She would be more than willing to die for him if he asked that of her.

"Of course. Help me pack your stuff and you can get some rest till I get you in the morning."

She had agreed easily enough. Leaving with her brother _alive_ was a choice she'd take any day compared to the death she'd face in the hands of the dragon. They had shoved only necessities and a couple sets of clothing into an easy to carry rucksack.

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning. Be ready." He placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Okay, goodnight, Eren." Her nerves were a bit frayed from excitement but she forced herself to get some sleep.

"Goodnight, Mikasa."

He left quickly back to his room to prepare supplies for himself. Once in his room, he went straight for the moderate sum of money he had hidden in a secret compartment located underneath a drawer in his nightstand. This was the money he had gathered over the course of a few years doing odd jobs. It was saved for instances of emergency, though he would have never fathomed for a situation like the one he was in now. He packed his things quickly and all that was left for him to do was wait.

Laying on his bed, he tried to get some rest, but sleep eluded him. He stayed up until dawn had broken, causing a gentle light to filter into his room. Once he heard the birds begin their morning songs, he sat up immediately, grabbed his things, and went to get his sister.

Now in her room, he shook her shoulders gently, just enough to rouse her. "Come on, get up. It's time to leave."

"Mmk." She rubbed her tired eyes and yawned. Her attire was already the one she would wear to leave so she swung her legs over the side of the bed and grabbed her things.

As quietly as they could, they tiptoed down the hallway and made it to the living room. With the door in sight, they made a break for it. Mikasa had reached their goal first, but something had latched onto Eren's shoulder, pulling him back. He was shoved roughly onto the floorboards of the room and they gave in about an inch due to the sheer force of his impact.

Dazed, he was unable to respond as he was yelled at. "You little fucker! I even agreed to let Mikasa go given that you'd take her place and you pull a stunt like this!" Eren heard his sister gasp in the background. "I should just send the both of you up there for disobeying me!"

He did his best to struggle out of his father's grip, but his fingers were like vice on his arms. Eren was by no means a weak person, but his father possessed a strength that he could not rival. Trying again, he swung a fist at his father's face and managed to collide it with his nose, hard enough to cause some blood to drip onto his shirt.

"Fucking shit!" Rubbing his sore nose, he grabbed a syringe he had in the pocket of his sweater. Before Eren could slip away, he jabbed the needle into his son's arm.

"Agh! What the fuck!" The pain of the injection was excruciating. He felt his consciousness slipping away from him, vision blurring. He saw Mikasa from the corner of his eye, hands covering her mouth, frozen in shock. "Don't…fucking…touch her…" He managed to get out those words before his world spun and he blacked out.

* * *

"Ugh." He groaned loudly, sitting away from the rock that he had made his bed while unconscious. The effects of the drug his father injected in him were still going strong. His head was throbbing painfully and his limbs were sluggish in movement.

Reaching his hand up to run through his brunet hair, he felt something that was most definitely _not_ naturally growing from his head.

_Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me._

His father had put a wig on him, hairpins and all. What the hell. Where did the man even get these things? Looking down at his body, he exhaled in relief. At least he had on his normal clothes. So much for looking like a girl, though. The only way that was believable was if the dragon was completely blind or just plain stupid.

Ignoring his appearance, he surveyed his surroundings, checking to see if Mikasa were with him. When he was finally satisfied at the lack of her presence, he shifted his focus to the chains that were digging into his wrists. Tugging at them experimentally, he found that they were attached to a pole adjacent to him. If he could get himself out of them, he'd be able to go back for Mikasa. Hopefully his bastard of a father hadn't done anything to her. Busy trying to get free from his restraints, he hadn't noticed that a person had approached him.

"Oi, brat. What the hell are you doing here?"

He could have sworn that his heart was about to leap straight out of his chest and right onto the cold mountain floor. Turquoise eyes lifted up to find the face that had spoken, only for them to widen at the sight of a short statured man dressed in a lengthy fluffy jacket with a long-sleeved silken tunic underneath and tight fitting pants.

"Uh…I…I…" What was another person doing up in the mountains anyway? Not to mention a dragon infested mountain. Was this man looking for a death wish?

"Are you retarded or something?" The man had said this while keeping on a serious expression, not even batting an eyelid.

"What?! No!" He had yelled back at the man, indignant. He was so rude! You just don't go around asking people you barely knew if they were retarded or not. He almost wished that the dragon would come now and eat this man. Almost, because he would feel bad if it actually happened. Eren was tempted to blow a raspberry at him, but refrained from doing so. It would probably just make him seem crazy.

"Oh. Thank gods. I thought maybe you were left here because you were special in the head or whatever. What's your name then? And, if you're a girl, you're kind of an ugly one." Though the last part was a bit of a lie. The kid had a nice face and possessed the most captivating set of sparkling blue-green eyes he had ever seen.

Wow. His personality really sucked. Eren chose ignore it and continue the conversation in hopes that the man would be able to help him. He sighed loudly before speaking. "My name's Eren. No, there is nothing wrong with my head. And no, I'm not a girl. It's not like I wanted to wear this stupid wig."

"Hm. Rivaille. How'd you end up here?"

Okay, so his social skills were practically nonexistent, too. He was going to assume that Rivaille was the man's name. "Well, I don't know if you know this, but about a week ago, a dragon landed in these mountains. The people in the village where I live were afraid that the dragon was going to attack them, so they thought a 'pretty virgin girl' would appease it." He left out details about his sister because he didn't want to give strangers any information about her. He thought it was unnecessary, anyway.

Rivaille stepped closer to Eren. "Pfft. Every girl in the village must be really hideous then if they thought you looked pretty like this. But that's the dumbest shit I've ever heard. What the hell would a dragon want a girl for?" Though, he, however, could think of ways to make use of a _boy._

"Ugh. How am I supposed to know? The thought of their own safety has probably clouded their ability to reason. Anyway, since you're here, can you help me get out of this? I'd prefer not to be killed by a dragon if I didn't have to."

He eyed Eren thoughtfully. "Yeah, sure. I'll help you. Won't do it for free, though."

"Righttt. Of course. What do you want?" _Figures. _No one wanted to help people out of the good of their heart anymore.

"How much do you think you're life's worth? Hmm. Well, you could repay me with your body." Rivaille smirked, finally showing some sort of emotion on his face.

"Wha-what! But…!" Eren sputtered, his face tomato red. "You…I'm a boy, you know…"

"Duh. I'm not deaf. I heard you before. What, got a problem with my tastes?"

"Uh…um…no. That's not it…I just wasn't expecting…" He trailed off. Eren had always kept his sexual preference a secret, even to his sister. Being gay was considered a disease and he could be flogged for it if he were found out. He was just shocked that he would be able to meet someone similar to him and out of all places, too. "Agh! Whatever, just get me out of this!" His head was still pounding and he really didn't want to think about anything at the moment. He just wanted out, now. The chill of the mountain wasn't helping his mood, either. Goosebumps adorned both of his arms.

Rivaille chucked at Eren's lack of patience. "Alright, as you wish." He leaned over Eren, his hand reaching to the boy's head. He heard a sharp intake of breath from Eren and saw him squeeze his eyes shut. _Adorable._ "Relax. I haven't even done anything yet."

Opening his eyes, Eren looked up at Rivaille leaning over him. He involuntarily flinched when he felt a hand caress the side of his face and travel to his wig, pulling something out from it. _What?_ In Rivaille's hand was a bobby pin and on his face was the cockiest smirk Eren had ever seen in his life. _That jerk. He's teasing me!_ Trying to put on the fiercest look he could manage, he glared at Rivaille.

He almost choked on the laughter that he tried so hard to hold in. This kid. He was way too cute and Rivaille wanted to make him his. He picked up one of Eren's wrists and began picking the lock of the metal cuff. Eren's hands were cold on his skin. Despite wanting to tease the boy some more, he needed to get Eren out of the restraints before he got sick from the cool air up here.

While Rivaille worked on unlocking the chains on his wrists, Eren couldn't help but stare at his face. His eyelashes were surprisingly long; they fluttered and brushed against his cheeks as he was bent down, eyes focused on picking the cuffs. He noticed how the man's lips were perfectly shaped, how beautifully his Cupid's bow curved. Rivaille's hair was hanging away from his face and to Eren, the strands looked like threads of silk. Before he realized what he was doing, his free hand reached out and tucked some of Rivaille's fringe behind his ear. Rivaille glanced up and Eren's hand froze at the side of his face. _Oh shit._ "I-uh…um…sorry." Glancing away, he quickly retracted his limb.

_Oh my fucking God._ Eren was really too freaking cute for his own good. _Just marry me already._ Rivaille soon managed to get the cuff unlocked so the other one was a piece of cake. When the cuffs fell to the ground, Eren began rubbing his sore wrists and mumbled a 'thanks'. He tried to stand but ended up stumbling in the process. Before he could fall face first into the floor, Rivaille caught him and the boy ended up face first in his chest and sprawled on his lap instead.

His face was on fire; he could feel it. If dying from embarrassment were possible, that's what Eren would be doing. It had all happened so quickly. As he attempted to get up, the world felt like it had tiled on an angle and his legs failed him. Strong arms had grasped his waist and stopped his fall. Again. His face was pressed into silken fabric and he could feel just how _toned_ Rivaille's chest was. Since Eren had to keep his preferences behind locks, never before had he been able to truly feel what he yearned for. Everything was overwhelming to Eren and Rivaille's lovely scent of pine and flowers was not helping him. He felt dizzy. He needed something, an outlet. Anything to relive the pressure building underneath his ribcage, suffocating him.

Half-lidded eyes gazed up at Rivaille. _Oh hell no. Don't you dare look at me like that._ There was no telling what he would do to the kid. He could only restrain himself so much. "…Rivaille…" _Nope. Fuck it._ He leaned in and captured Eren's lips in his own. The boy was shocked at first at Rivaille's actions, but soon tried his best to mimic what Rivaille did. He could only assume that Eren's never kissed anybody before, given that he was gay and that was a big 'no-no' in his society.

Rivaille sucked on the bottom of Eren's lip and ran his hand along his chest, causing him to let out a soft moan. Taking advantage of his parted lips, Rivaille slipped his tongue into Eren's mouth, brushing it against the boy's own. He had gasped at the intrusion, but allowed Rivaille to explore his mouth, meekly meeting his tongue Rivaille's more aggressive one. He continued to kiss Eren deeply, one hand cupping his cheek, until the boy pulled away, gasping for breath.

One corner of Rivaille's mouth lifted up in a crooked smile. If Eren kept being so freaking appealing, he was really going to end up doing something more inappropriate to him. "Next time, breathe through your nose." He tried to give the winded boy a peck on the forehead but ended up with a mouthful of fake hair. Pulling back, he grimaced. "This needs to go." The wig was pulled off in one swift motion and thrown to the side, allowing soft brown hair to spill out. "Much better." Eren looked much more charming with his own short, brunet hair, parted in the middle.

Eren couldn't be bothered to respond to Rivaille. He had just received his first kiss. Well, he had gotten kisses from his mother, but they weren't like this, of course. That would just be wrong, but he wouldn't think about her now. His first kiss had been everything he was hoping for and more. Never in this lifetime would he have thought that he'd be able to kiss a man. He could die now and he wouldn't even care. Eren tried to sit up, but body felt like jelly. Keeping himself upright seemed next to impossible at the moment.

Rivaille hadn't seemed to mind Eren's inability to move or speak. He firmly wrapped one arm around Eren's waist to support him and his other hand combed the boy's delicate brown locks, gently pressing his head against his chest.

Even though Eren felt warmed up from the kiss, he shivered when a gust of wind breezed past the two of them. Steady hands grasped him on the shoulder and pushed him back. He stared at Rivaille, slightly shocked. Had he done something wrong?

Noticing Eren's distress, he reassured the boy. "You're fine." He shucked off his fur coat and wrapped it around Eren, trying to stop his trembling.

"Ah, no! Wait. Don't give this to me. I'm okay. I don't want you to catch a cold." Despite Eren's protests, Rivaille insisted and would not take no for an answer.

"Now that you're all warmed up, why don't you head back to your village? Don't worry about the dragon. I'll deal with it."

"What?! No! I can't let you do something like that!"

"Aww, worried about me?"

"Yeah, I am, actually."

Rivaille had wanted to tease Eren, expecting him to vehemently deny any concern for him, but was taken aback by his straightforward answer. A little bit unsure of what to say, he rubbed the back of his neck before replying. "Don't be. I can handle myself just fine. Trust me." Seeing the doubt in Eren's eyes, he questioned him. "Do I look weak to you?"

"No…" Eren's reply was reluctant. He didn't want to leave Rivaille to deal with the dragon by himself but he had no jurisdiction over the man.

"See? I'll be okay. Really, don't concern yourself over me. We're practically strangers, anyway." There was hurt in Eren's eyes when he said this and he regretted his words just a bit.

"Will…will I see you again?" His voice wavered.

"Mmm…who knows? Maybe." Rivaille brushed Eren's bangs out of his face and gave one last kiss on his forehead before they parted ways. He pointed to a path that slanted in a gradual decline. "That's the safest route back. Take that road and you should arrive in your village in no time."

Rivaille had stepped away from Eren and started walking in the opposite direction. Before he could disappear from Eren's sight, he ran towards him, grasping the shorter man by his shoulders and turning him around. Eren placed a hard kiss on Rivaille's lips, giving them a quick lick before pressing his face into the crook of his neck. "I'll see you later, Rivaille." He mumbled against Rivaille's neck. Not giving him a chance to reply, Eren ran off in the direction that would lead him home, refusing to look back.

Shock glued Rivaille to his spot momentarily. His fingertips fluttered to his lips, still feeling the sensation of another's on his. He let out a soft chuckle only he would hear. _Damn cheeky brat. Just like a little puppy. _When he was sure Eren was gone, he transformed into his true form, a large dragon with onyx shaded scales, and flew off to Eren's village, going quickly enough to make sure that he would make it there first.

* * *

The forest surrounding the village shielded his enormous body as he landed to change into his human form. Didn't want to give the villagers a scare. Yet. As he emerged from the woods, villagers took notice of him. "Oi, hey, tell me, any one of you. Who decided to offer up some kid to a dragon?"

A crowd had begun to gather, curious of what was going on. Someone finally decided to speak up. "Well, I don't know why it is of any concern to you what we do, kid, but the entire settlement thought that a sacrifice would be in our best interests. Though that damn Grisha switched his choice of child last minute. Not that I mind, getting rid of that stupid troublemaker will be better for everyone."

He had felt a vein in his forehead throbbing the moment the villager opened his mouth but he was sure it was ready to explode afterwards. "Okay, first of all, you shithead, I'm not a child. I'm going to assume this Grisha character is related to Eren in some way and is responsible for the fact that he ended up almost freezing to death on that mountain. I think it would be 'in your best interests' that you don't pull this shit again. And don't you dare think you can call him stupid. He's more intelligent than the lot of you pigs." But a switch, though? Eren hadn't mentioned anything about that.

Indignant, another man from the crowd called out to Rivaille. "Hey, man, who the hell do you think you are talking to us like that? You don't know anything about us. You can't just come into our town talking shit about us!"

Rivaille wanted to laugh at their ignorance. "Who the hell am I? Who the fuck do you think I am?" He was bored of this little charade. His body began transforming, becoming covered in glossy onyx scales. Giant wings sprouted from his back, and a long tail grew and flicked out behind him.

No longer in human form, steam leaked from his mouth as he spoke, his voice much deeper. "Why the ever living fuck did you think offering a person would please me? What the HELL would I do with one single person? Eat them? If I wanted to eat God damn people why would I be satisfied with just one? Do you all have shit for brains?! Ugh. That damn Grisha person better be glad he's not here. If he were, I'd skin that fucker alive and let him roast slowly over a fire until it killed him."

All of those that gathered stood frozen in place, too scared to even move, knowing that they wouldn't be able to outrun the dragon. He thought they were filth, scum, all of them. He wanted to get out of their presence as soon as he could. "So, word of fucking advice, if I see anybody chained up on that stupid ass mountain again, there will be hell to pay. Ah, also, tell that shitface Grisha that if I see a single scratch on Eren or his sibling, he's as good as dead." After saying his last words, he took off, flying high back to the mountains.

* * *

Back at the cave he decided to stay at, Rivaille changed into his human form. He just did not understand the way humans thought at all. Really. What the hell made them think that sacrificing a human would be a good plan?

Rivaille wasn't even too keen on the idea of eating humans, but then he remembered the lingering flavor of Eren on his tongue. He pressed his fingers to the grin that graced his face at the memory. _They sure do taste good, though._

* * *

A/N: If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading. This was inspired by a story I read a couple years ago and I just happened to remember it recently. I was (and still am) fascinated by the idea of dragons and dragon shifters, and I don't think I've seen any SnK dragon!AUs so I thought, why not?

Anyway, I do hope you guys enjoyed the story as much as I did writing it. This is the second story I've ever written, so please keep in mind that my writing is not as good as the other amazing writers on FF/AO3. Regardless, I would love to hear what you guys think. All comments, suggestions, and criticisms are welcome. ^ ^


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: Eren's a crybaby and I'm a fucking tease.

Heyyy! I finally finished the second chapter. It's all thanks to you guys, my wonderful supporters that gave me the inspiration to continue the story. :) It's unbeta'd so if there are any glaring mistakes please feel free to tell me. Enjoy!

EDIT: Fixed the conflict. Thanks for telling me, anon. :)

* * *

"–ren." _What was that? _"Eren." _Is someone calling me?_ "Eren! Get your stupid butt up!" Sheets were roughly yanked from his clutches, leaving his body exposed to the morning chill.

Shivering, Eren groaned at his sister. "Ugh…Do you have to wake me up so early?" It felt like she woke him up at the ass crack of dawn.

"Geez, quit being lazy. It's not even that early. It's almost midday already. Besides, if you don't get up soon, you're going to be late for work. Old man Pixis isn't going to like that."

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled noncommittally.

"Don't 'yeah, yeah' me. I'll go make breakfast. If I have to come get you again, I'll beat your sorry behind."

"Alright, _mom_. No need to get your panties in a twist." Really, sometimes he felt like Mikasa's son rather than her older brother.

"Bleh," Mikasa stuck her tongue out at him before heading off to the kitchen. Well, at least she knew how to act her age sometimes, and Eren was glad she was able to given what they had both gone through.

Sighing, Eren ran his hands over his face and clapped them against his cheeks to dispel any drowsiness he had left. He stood up and walked toward the window and carefully lifted open the wooden frame. Placing both arms against the windowsill, he rested his chin against them. The brilliant light from the risen sun danced across his face and into the room. Despite the sunny weather, the temperature was still rather low, due to the fact that it was the cold season.

From his window, Eren could see the snowy mountain peaks. Exhaling, a visible puff of vapor escaped past his lips. He hadn't forgotten what had occurred up on those mountain tops. It had been about two weeks since his encounter with Rivaille and he hadn't seen the man since.

After Eren had managed to get himself back to the village, everyone seemed strange somehow – rattled up? He tried to get some information out of the villagers, but they had refused to speak to or make eye contact with him. It wasn't until he ran into his best friend Armin that he found out about the events that transpired while he was gone.

Armin had practically squeezed the life out of him, glad that he was back unharmed. "Eren! I'm so happy you're okay. I was so worried when I heard that you were being sacrificed instead."

"Hah, well, I'm totally fine, as you can see," Eren breathed, waving a hand from head to toe.

"Honestly, just what were they thinking? You of all people pull off a girl? Not with those caterpillars," Armin playfully jabbed, waggling his eyebrows.

"Rude."

"Heheh. It's true. Anyway, while you were gone the dragon appeared in our village. It was huge, as tall as the height of fifteen grown men combined!" Armin gushed. "But, funny thing is, there was this really short guy with black hair. Had this permanent looking scowl on his face and everything. He _transformed_ into the dragon. Who knew they could do that?"

The blond had continued to talk about how the dragon actually talked and how it sounded intelligent, sort of….or something along the lines of that. Eren had stopped listening after Armin mentioned the man. The gears in his head turned. _No. It was impossible…he couldn't possibly be…_

"And get this!" Armin stopped and waved his hand in front of Eren's face. "Hello? Earth to Eren. Are you listening?"

Eren blinked as he was snapped out of his thoughts. Smiling sheepishly, he mumbled, "Ah, yeah, sorry. You were saying?"

Armin hadn't minded that Eren drifted off. He knew he could get overly zealous sometimes and start rambling. Returning a smile of his own, he continued, "Well, I was saying that it threatened to harm anyone that dared to hurt you. _You!_ How weird is that? I wonder why."

Armin had looked at him expectantly then, as if Eren had the answer to his questions. Too bad he didn't. Though, he had an inkling as to why if his deduction was correct. But as for the motive? He had no idea.

Thoughts of returning to the mountains to find Rivaille for answers constantly plagued his mind. Sadly, he couldn't act on his impulses because right now his main concern was his sister.

Apparently his sad excuse for a father was already long gone before the dragon even arrived. The man had packed his supplies and left without a trace. He had drugged Mikasa the same way he did to Eren – _goddamn bastard_ – and left her on the floor in the corner of the living room.

Whatever, the two of them were better off with him gone, anyhow. But, since his shitty father was no longer here, Eren needed a relatively stable job to be able to pay off the monthly tax collections. Luckily for him, old man Pixis, who really did not like being reminded of his age, was willing to employ him as a delivery boy.

Reluctantly, he removed himself from the window, got ready, and went to grab some breakfast.

The warm scent of toasted bread and fried eggs wafted towards him as he entered the kitchen. He could also smell the tangy aroma of freshly squeezed orange juice. God, he was lucky he had Mikasa to feed him because he couldn't cook worth a damn and would probably starve to death without her. Hey, just because he was older didn't mean he couldn't rely on his little sister for something every now and then. Well, maybe every day. Same difference.

"Finally, geesh. I swear you are the slowest person to ever walk this earth."

"Whatever. I'm here and that's all that matters," Eren retorted.

"Alright, lazy bum. I'm finished eating so I'm going to go see if I can get some work somewhere. Make sure you aren't late to your job." She grabbed her small leather satchel and headed out the door, leaving him to his own devices.

* * *

Eren reached into his bag, pulling out the letters to be delivered. Knocking hard on the wooden door, he called out, "Hello! Mail for uh…" The envelope in his hand was addressed to 'My Beloved' _Seriously?_ "Someone's lover?"

He let out a long sigh as he waited. He had been just a bit late for work, but Pixis had let him slide. Ol' Pixis was a good man. A bit of an alcoholic, but good nonetheless.

The door finally opened. Eren put on his best smile, "Here's yo-" _You have got to be fucking kidding me._ In an instant his smile changed into a full blown grimace.

"Oh god. It's you." He looked utterly mortified.

"Che. Nice to see you too, horse-face. Here's your shitty mail."

Jean quickly snatched the letter from Eren's outstretched hand. "I'm surprised Pixis actually hired a good for nothing like you."

"All that matters is I have a job, unlike someone. Well, it's not really your fault. Not too many places hire horses," he sneered back.

"Wha –" he sputtered, "Would you stop with that horse thing already?"

Eren had already turned his back and proceeded to leave.

"Hey, Eren!" Jean called out, a hint of desperation in his voice. "Don't tell anyone about the letter, okay?"

"Whatever, ponyboy," he replied, waving the backside of his hand at Jean. It wasn't any of his business, anyway.

Eren had to admit he was pretty shocked that Jean of all people had a lover. He couldn't help but be a little curious who was on the other end, though.

It had taken about two hours to deliver all of the mail in his satchel. Eren returned to old man Pixis and received his payment. His pay was only a few copper coins, but that was better than nothing. It would get them by.

He had the rest of the day to himself now that he was finished working. Eren went back home to see if Mikasa had returned, but she hadn't. He sighed once again. It was something he was doing a lot of lately.

Eren didn't know what was wrong, but he simply felt that he was missing something. He couldn't pinpoint the exact problem but he felt…empty. Lacking in some way.

As he was alone and left to his own thoughts, an idea wormed its way into his head – he could go up to the mountains to see if Rivaille was still there. Mikasa was safe and he had a job. They were pretty stable now, so why not?

In his excitement, Eren nearly tripped as he ran to grab his coat. He would leave a note for Mikasa, letting her know where he went. Paper on desk and pen in hand, he scrawled a quick message to his sister. Donning his jacket, he secured the door and quickly headed to the mountains.

Upon reaching the location where he had met Rivaille, there was no sign of the man. Eren couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. Though, he hadn't expected anything different. It had been two whole weeks since they last met after all.

He would wait. There was the slim possibility of Rivaille showing up later. Sitting down and leaning up against a familiar rock, Eren cupped his hands in front of his face and breathed on them for warmth.

A good half an hour had passed and still no sign of anyone or anything for that matter. The cool air was drying out his eyes and made him feel tired. He exhaled and closed his eyes, allowing himself to rest for a short while. _Please, please show up._

* * *

"Ugh…" he groaned as he dragged himself from his bed and went to ready himself for the day.

Rivaille hated mornings with a burning passion, and he was not passionate about many things. If he could physically put his hands on morning, he would strangle it to death.

It also didn't help that he was feeling extremely irritated as of late. He felt tired, twitchy, and then there was this annoying constant tugging feeling in his chest. No matter how hard he rubbed at it the sensation persisted, like an itch beneath the skin that couldn't be scratched away.

Maybe he had caught some disease? Whatever it was, he wanted it gone, and fast. The only option he knew of was getting help from Hanji, his distant cousin. Major emphasis on distant. It almost physically hurt him to admit they were related in any way no matter how far-off their blood ties were. He didn't particularly dislike her, and that was saying a lot since he hated many things, but surely she had a few missing screws.

She had this crazy obsession with magic and spells and a penchant for her human form. A human body was much more manageable than a giant lizard body so he had to agree with her on that part.

He avoided her whenever she tried to strike up a conversation (albeit mostly one-sided) with him about anything pertaining to magic. But he had to admit, her fascination with spells and other worldly powers had their benefits. If it weren't for her invention, he'd be living in an actual cave and there was no way in hell he would ever submit himself to such disgusting conditions again.

Hanji had made him a charm which could be attached to any surface that created a doorway to his own personal room. This made it easy for him to travel anywhere he wanted whenever he felt like getting away from the pompous, egotistical aristocrats in Sina, the capital city. Yet, Rivaille himself was situated in human society and actually an earl with a substantial amount of wealth and land. He hadn't always lived in the lap of luxury, but that was in the past now.

After he finished getting ready and straightening out his cravat, Rivaille left his dwelling. He changed into his dragon form and quickly made his way to Hanji's cabin in the forest where she most likely would be.

Landing in a large open field of multicolored flowers by her cabin, he shifted back and made his way to her place. Giving the wooden door a few hard knocks, he called out, "Oi, shitty glasses! You there?"

From behind the door he heard shuffling and then the loud, splitting crack of glass breaking on a surface. There was muffled cry of 'Crap!' and more shuffling.

After what felt like an eternity, the door finally flew open with an unsurprisingly disheveled Hanji on the opposite side.

Rivaille grumbled, "Tch. Took you long enough."

She made a noise of surprise. "Huh! Rivaille? What are you doing here?" Not giving him a chance to reply, she continued, "Well, no matter. It's good to see ya. Come in, come in!" Grinning widely, Hanji grabbed him by the shoulders and ushered him inside.

Once inside, he shrugged her off and brushed his shoulders where her hands had been. He grimaced. _Filthy._

Her cabin was of moderate size; it was a perfect fit for all the tinkering she did. However, it was now rather cramped due to her disposition of leaving things everywhere. There were old books, yellowed papers, glass vials and beakers, and unidentifiable materials strewn all over the place.

Hanji sheepishly chuckled, "Eheh, sorry for the mess."

She most certainly was not sorry. She was never sorry, because every time he visited her there was always the same damn clutter.

He pulled out a chair, dusted it off, and plopped himself on it. She did the same, but wasn't as finicky as he.

"Righty then. So, what brings the 'oh so great and powerful' Rivaille to my humble abode?"

He chose to ignore her playful tone. "I think I'm sick."

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"Well, lately I've been feeling uneasy, jittery. Then there's this aggravating tugging sensation in my chest that won't go away no matter what I do."

Hanji's eyes sparkled as realization dawned on her and she squealed internally. If her assumptions were correct then… "Have you met anyone recently?" _Oh gosh, oh gosh! I hope I'm right. _She could barely contain herself as she had begun fidgeting in her seat.

Rivaille raised a brow at her change in demeanor. "What does that have to do with my illness? I haven't…well, there was this one kid. He was around 17 or so?"

She immediately jumped out of her seat and let out a strangled cry of delight. _He said 'he'! _She mentally fist pumped. "Yahoo! I was right!" Hanji ran over and clasped his hand in hers and he visibly flinched at the suddenness. "Congratulations!"

His brows furrowed together. "What the hell are you going on about, damn glasses?"

She stood up, did a pirouette and said in a singsong voice, "You found your soulmate~" At her last word, she bopped him on the nose with her index finger and danced away.

He stared at her with a deadpan expression. She was out of her mind. There was no way that kid was his soulmate. Sure, the boy had a nice face, but the problem still remained: he was just a kid. Rivaille on the other hand, though young for a dragon, was already around one hundred years old.

"You're off your rocker. That's the stupidest thing I've heard from you yet. And you've said quite a few stupidass things before."

"I'm not, I'm not! Well, maybe just a bit. But hey, to be a genius you need a little dose of crazy." She gave him a wink. "I'm right, though. Why do you think you started feeling that pull in your chest? It's your dragon soul calling out for your other half. I get the impression that you haven't seen him again since? That'd be the reason why you're feeling so anxious."

Rivaille opened his mouth to contradict her, but he started to sense that she was correct. He rested his elbows on his legs, leaned his face into his palms and groaned. "God, I feel like a damn cradle robber."

Laughing, she replied, "It's fineee. You look like you're in your twenties."

Now that he had some answers, he wanted to get the hell away from Hanji as far and as soon as possible before she went off on a tangent. He was already exhausted. Being with her for any amount of time drained all of his energy trying to keep up with her madness or restraining himself from strangling her.

"I'm leaving." He stood up and sauntered to the door.

"Laters! Bring him here some time. I want to meet him!" she called out to his retreating form.

* * *

Something was shaking him at the shoulders. He tried to shrug it off and turned to his side.

"Nnn…no, Mikasa. Give me a few more minutes…tired…" he mumbled.

"Get your damn ass up. You're gonna freeze your balls off."

His eyes immediately snapped open, surprised. _Rivaille._ He opened his mouth to say something but no words came out.

"Oi, the fuck are you doing back here? Did those shitty villagers send you back up here again?" That didn't seem right, though. Eren wasn't chained up and he was damn sure he scared the living shits out of all of them to make them not repeat a stunt like this.

"U-um, no. I came here myself."

"Uh huh…and why the hell would you do that?"

"I-I-ah…ahhhh…ACHOO!" He sneezed right in Rivaille's face.

Rivaille's hand moved slowly to his cheek. His index finger swiped a bead of spit from his skin. He simply stared at his finger as if he were unable to believe what had just happened.

"…."

"O-oh my gosh. I'm so sorry!" Eren moved his hand to wipe Rivaille's face, but the man caught his wrist.

"_Don't._ Why are you here?" His tone came out harsher than he had intended.

Eren stared at him, hurt evident in his turquoise eyes. "I just wanted to see you… Is that so bad?"

Rivaille sighed heavily. It wasn't like he didn't want to meet the kid again, seeing as his presence had completely wiped out any anxiety he had been feeling the past two weeks. He just didn't want to take advantage of Eren like he did last time. Eren was just a damn brat who didn't know any better. What if it hadn't been Rivaille that he had met? The thought of Eren kissing another man (possibly woman?) made his blood boil.

He glanced at the brunet. The kid had the audacity to look like he wanted to cry. If anyone wanted to cry it was Rivaille because god damn it he was so temped to commit a crime.

"H-hey, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," he replied, smirking, childishly proud of himself.

Eren groaned, exasperated. "You know what I mean."

Rivaille had released Eren's wrist and the boy moved his hand and tentatively placed it in Rivaille's, grasping it ever so slightly.

"Yeah, go ahead," he said as he intertwined their fingers and squeezed firmly. This much was fine, right?

"I just wanted to know – I-I heard that maybe, uh, you…" Shit. Why was this so hard? "Aghhh…"

"Whoa there. Don't give yourself a stroke."

"I'm not! I just…" Eren exhaled deeply. "Don't be mad, okay?"

"Hn. Depends."

He gave Rivaille a light shove in the chest and secretly reveled at its firmness.

"Tch. Fine, fine. I won't be mad." _Just touch me again_. "What is it?"

"Iwasjustwonderingifyouwerethedragon!"

"_What?_"

Eren huffed, definitely not wanting to repeat himself. Glancing anywhere but at the man, he questioned, "Are you the dragon?"

Rivaille's eyes widened. He stared at Eren for the longest time, but then all of a sudden a tiny chuckle passed through his lips. Soon it turned into full blown laughter that had him clutching his sides.

All Eren could do was stare in shock. It seemed so uncharacteristic of the man. Not that he knew him well or anything. _So…he's not?_

As his laughter subsided, he said, slightly breathless, "You thought I'd be mad over that?"

"I don't know! Maybe!"

Then Rivaille's demeanor changed again. His eyes turned serious, guarded.

His voice was barely a whisper. "Would you be scared?"

"Huh?"

"What if I were the dragon? Would you be scared?"

_Would I be scared?_ Eren hadn't really thought about that. Now that it was on his mind, truthfully, he didn't think he would be. If Rivaille had wanted to hurt Eren he would have done so already. And, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to threaten the villagers for Eren's sake.

Staring straight into Rivaille's eyes, his answer was firm, resolute. "No."

Rivaille looked incredulous for a moment, but then he smiled the most breathtaking smile Eren had ever seen in his whole life. It wasn't simply beautiful. No, it was more than that. It was stunning, striking, brilliant, even. In that moment, Eren promised himself that he would do anything to keep that smile on this person's face.

Unconsciously, Eren moved and embraced Rivaille in a tight hug. He would take that smile as a yes. It didn't matter to him what he was. Rivaille was still Rivaille.

Rivaille stilled at the abruptness but found himself snaking his arms around the boy. He pressed his nose into the fabric of Eren's shirt and inhaled. He smelled musky with a hint of cinnamon and...dirt.

He immediately pulled back, scrunching his nose. "You're filthy."

"Ah, well, _sorry._ Not all of us are as fortunate as some people," he grumbled, feeling both annoyed and embarrassed.

Rivaille rubbed the side of his face. Clearly his words had upset the boy. He hadn't meant to sound like he was critical of Eren's poverty, because, gods, he knew damn well how it felt.

"Ah, shit," he mumbled under his breath. "Come." He stood and reached his hand out to help Eren up. "Let's get out of this cold first. Don't want you getting sick."

Hand in hand, Eren silently trailed behind Rivaille. They reached the opening of a small cave that Rivaille confidently entered, dragging a nervous Eren behind him. Rivaille continued deeper into the cave until finally stopping at a wall of the cavern.

"Uhm…do you live here?"

"Something like that."

"Er…nice place?"

Rivaille wanted to laugh at Eren's confused face and sad attempt at a compliment. But instead, he touched the spot where he placed Hanji's crystal charm and chanted an incantation. The crystal lit up for a few seconds and then dimmed, leaving them in mute darkness once again.

Eren simply stared and listened as Rivaille's voice had taken on a deeper, huskier tone. _Oh my god he sounds sexy._ He had no clue what he was saying but damn it was hot. Before he could say anything, Rivaille dragged him towards the wall and then walked_ through_ it. _What the hell?_ The stone rippled wherever it came into contact with their bodies.

Nothing could have prepared him for the sight that lay on the other side. It was unbelievable, incredible. Eren froze and just stood there awestruck, mouth agape.

In front of him was a completely decorated and furnished area with patterned, arched doorways that led to other rooms. The décor could be described as…Moroccan? Eren couldn't quite remember if that was the appropriate description but he recalled it from looking at painted picture books with Armin about places around the world.

The colors of the room were mostly bright red with golden accents. Large, billowing fabric canopies overlapping each other were suspended from the astonishingly high ceilings. Sections of the walls were indented to hold rows upon rows of hard-bound books. There were piles of polychromatic pillows along with various chaise loungers scattered around. Myriad crystal tiered chandeliers that hung from the tall ceilings, scattering tiny flecks of rainbow light throughout the room, added an almost mystical quality to the atmosphere.

"Wow," he breathed, mesmerized.

It was no wonder that Rivaille thought he was filthy. He owned all of these lavish things and probably never came into contact with anything as disgusting as him. Eren felt ashamed of himself, ashamed that he was poor, ashamed that he had absolutely nothing he could offer to Rivaille.

Tears flowed from his eyes as he wondered why Rivaille even bothered to associate with a pauper like him. _Ugh_. _Dammit_. He lifted his hand to his face and used his sleeve to roughly wipe away the moisture.

Rivaille was immediately at his side, grasping both of his shoulders. "O-oi, Eren! What's wrong? Is it because of what I said before?" Eren refused to look at him so he grasped him by the chin. "Hey, hey, look at me. Talk to me. I can't help you unless you tell me the problem." God, he felt like such an asshole now. Why couldn't he have just kept his mouth shut?

"I-I'm – hiccup – s-sorry."

_What? _He's_ sorry?_

"I'm sorry I c-can't – I can't give you – I don't have anything I can give you."

"_What?_" Rivaille voiced his confusion. "You think I want something from you?"

"You…you have all this stuff. And me…I have nothing. Why would you…with someone poor like me…"

Realization dawned on him. This kid thought that Rivaille was associating himself with him because he wanted something out of it.

"You damn fool." He pulled Eren down and tucked the boy's head beneath his, allowing his tear streaked face to stain his silk shirt. "I'm not asking for anything. I don't know what made you think that," he murmured in a soothing voice while carding his fingers through brunet locks.

"I don't know." He sniffled into Rivaille's shirt.

"You never know anything," he chuckled.

"Mmmrf…" he mumbled, slightly offended.

"Alright, alright." He rubbed Eren's back. "Come on. Let's get you washed up. I'm sure it will make you feel better."

"Mmk…" he agreed like an obedient boy listening to his mother.

Rivaille led him through one of the doorways as he marveled at how impossibly large the whole place was. He gave Eren a towel and one of his larger outfits to change to while telling him that all the other things he needed would be in the bathroom.

"If you need anything else just give me a call. Feel free to take as long as you want."

"Okay. Thanks." He smiled.

Rivaille left him alone and he stripped off his clothes, folding them neatly and placing them on the large surface of the marble sink. He observed himself in the fully body mirror and frowned. His body was completely scrawny, all skin and bones…the complete opposite of Rivaille. He wondered how he kept his body so toned.

He stepped into the shower and stared at the various metal handles, a bit unsure of what to do. Their home didn't have anything like this. They had to gather water at the river and boil it for heated bathwater. Sometimes they just bathed right in the creek if the weather was warm.

Eren tested out a knob and yelped when he was hit with a stream of bone chilling water.

He heard Rivaille's muffled call. "Everything alright?"

"Y-yeah! I'm good!"

Twisting the other handle, he adjusted the temperature until the water was extremely hot, but not enough to scorch his skin. Gods the water felt heavenly. He stood still for a good five minutes reveling in the sensation of the droplets of water running off his skin. Quickly, shampooed and washed out his hair. Then, he sponged his upper body, but froze when he went to clean his bottom half.

It was kind of embarrassing, washing himself _there_ when there was a mere door separating the two of them. He gripped his hipbone and chewed on his bottom lip. Was he really thinking of doing this?

Slowly, tentatively, he moved his hand until he was gently cupping his balls. Biting harder on his lip, he rolled them in his hand and trailed his fingers lightly against his already half hard cock. Eren's breathing had turned into soft, labored pants.

He squeezed his eyes shut and rested his forehead against the cool, mosaic wall tiles. He tried to remember the way Rivaille had kissed him when they first met. The way his hot tongue slid into Eren's mouth and met his inexperienced one.

His fingers gripped his member harder and he gave it a few quick pumps as he imagined Rivaille's hand touching him rather than his own, his mouth at his ear moaning Eren's name. With his one hand still on his cock, he reached his other behind him and carefully slid a finger into his anus, pushing in to his knuckle.

"A-ah…haah…mmn…" His breath came in short gasps.

There were a couple soft knocks on the door. Eren pulled his finger out and turned around so quickly he almost slipped on the wet marble. He slapped one hand on the wall to steady himself.

"Hey, you okay in there?"

"U-um, y-yeah. I'm okay. F-fine. Yeah, fine. I'll, uh, be done in a bit." He did his best to catch his breath. Fuck, he almost had a god damn heart attack.

"Okay, if you say so. I know I told you to take your time, but damn, I didn't think you were going fall asleep on me."

Eren made a disgruntled noise in reply.

He looked down at himself. He was still half hard even after having the shit scared out of him. _Fuck my life._ There was no way in hell he was going to continue now. All he could do was cool it with freezing cold water.

He turned off the faucet and hastily toweled himself off. Gods, it was cold. If sitting on the mountain floor didn't freeze his balls off then that shower sure did the job.

While drying off his hair, he picked up a shirt in the pile of clothes Rivaille had left him. It almost slipped through his fingers because he hadn't expected it to be so silky. He marveled the smooth material beneath his fingertips, bringing it up to his nose. Bunching the fabric against his face, he inhaled deeply; it smelled just like Rivaille. And shit, it was not helping him feel any less agitated.

Tearing the fabric away from his face, he dressed himself promptly before he could do anything stupid again. Leaving the bathroom, he went to find Rivaille.

Upon entering the main room, he saw Rivaille lounging on a chair reading a book.

Rivaille glanced away from the hardcover in his hands when he heard Eren enter.

"Took you long enough."

Eren approached Rivaille but refused to make eye contact with the man. "Erm, sorry about that. I, uh, just have never used a shower like that before."

He narrowed his eyes at the boy. There was something that Eren wasn't telling him. He had become aloof again.

"What's wrong now?"

"H-huh? What are you talking about? Nothing…nothing's wrong." He was fidgeting, wringing his hands behind his back.

Rivaille sighed and patted the spot next to him. "Come. Sit."

He sat down, but he placed his body at the very edge of the seat as far away as he could from the man that currently plagued his thoughts.

His actions irritated Rivaille. Was he rejecting him now after giving him false hope? Did he finally realize that he was actually afraid of him? Was he disgusted that he was a monster? He shouldn't have cared since they barely knew each other and Eren was just some damn brat, but shit. Having Eren shy away from him hurt him more than he could have expected.

Even though Eren was right in front of him, the tugging sensation in his chest came back. Except, it was even worse this time because he felt like his god damn heart was being strangled and yanked out through the gaps of his ribs.

"Eren, what the fuck," he growled. "If you didn't want to be near me you could have said something before."

Eren's head snapped up at Rivaille's tone but said nothing in reply.

"_What?_" he sneered. "Cat got your tongue, damn brat? You don't even think I'm good enough to talk to now?"

His jaw dropped at Rivaille's accusation. 'No,' he wanted to say. 'You've got it all wrong.' But, his throat constricted and his chest tightened at how hurt Rivaille sounded. What else could he possibly say, though? That he had horrible, depraved thoughts about Rivaille? That he was a sick pervert who tried to get off from him?

"I'm sorry…" he whispered.

"You're sorry? You're fucking sorry? You think a half-assed apology like that is going to magically fix everything?" He said in a more hushed tone, "You…gave me hope, Eren. You're the one who said that you weren't afraid of me. Look at you now." _Just like all the others._ "You don't even want to look at me let alone be next to me." His voice cracked at the last word.

"No!" he screamed. "You're wrong!" He couldn't bear seeing Rivaille look so completely and utterly dejected, defeated.

He breathed heavily, his whole body shaking in anger. He was angry at Rivaille, angry that he thought himself a monster. But, mostly he was angry at himself for letting it come to that, for being a coward.

He forced himself to calm down and continued, "No, no, it's not you. Of course it's not you." Biting his bottom lip, he carefully moved his hand and placed it gently on top of Rivaille's. "It's my fault. It's me. I'm the disgusting one."

Rivaille turned Eren's hand over and started thumbing his palm. His brows knit in confusion. "What are you talking about, Eren?"

_Might as well come clean._ "I…well, first off, I'm really, really sorry, okay? It was wrong, sick, and I shouldn't have done it. I-I may have…touched myself while thinking of you." He turned away, his face flush with embarrassment.

_That was it?_ Here he was, feeling like a pile of hot shit for no god damn reason. All because Eren assumed (_he needs to stop doing that) _that touching himself was wrong. Rivaille didn't know if he wanted to cry or laugh in relief at the whole thing.

He scooted himself closer to Eren and cupped his cheeks in both hands, forcing the boy to look at him. He had the faintest traces of tears in his eyes, looking like a kicked puppy.

"Listen, Eren. Don't feel upset over something so trivial. It's normal to feel like that sometimes. There's nothing wrong with it. And please, next time just tell me what's making you upset. I can't always know what you're thinking." He let out a small, breathy laugh. Just a moment ago he was criticizing Eren for assuming but he had been no different. "It leads the both of us to wrongly presume things."

"Uuuh…Rivaille…" Eren whimpered and buried his face between the crook of his neck.

"You're fine," he reassured, gently rubbing soothing circles on the boy's back.

After a few minutes, Eren pulled himself away from Rivaille.

Seeing that the boy was okay, he spoke up. "So, how was it then?"

"Ah?"

"How'd it feel jacking off to me?"

"O-oh," he stuttered. "It-I…you knocked on the door." He didn't want to talk about it. He was so embarrassed with himself.

"You…oh. Sorry about that." _Don't say it. Do not fucking say it. Have some self-control._ "Do you want me to help you finish then?" He had zero self-control and apparently his morals became non-existent, too. So much for restraining himself.

He looked at Rivaille incredulously. Was he being serious? "Wha-I…um…" Well, he had nothing to lose and he might not get a chance like this again. "…yes, please," he whispered.

"Are you sure about this? I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to."

Eren felt a surge of confidence. "Yes, I'm sure. Don't worry, you're not forcing me to do anything. I _want_ to do this."

"Alright then. But, Eren, listen to me. If at any point you feel uncomfortable and want to stop, just let me know and I will back off completely."

"Just touch me already," he pleaded, feeling his desire come back to him.

"Mmm, pushy," Rivaille purred.

He hooked his finger on the hem of Eren's pants and slowly slid his hand inside.

* * *

PFFFT. HAHHH...FUCK. I'm sorry for cutting it off there! There are a few reasons I did that, though. One, I thought the chapter was getting too long and drawn out. This is the largest chapter I've ever written. And two, I don't know how to write smut...SORRY. Agh, the shower thing was already embarrassing enough and it wasn't even that descriptive.

I don't know how detailed I'm going to make it...so please do not have high expectations. Most likely I won't start the next part anytime soon. I've been working on this chapter the past few days and I just want a break from writing. I apologize for that. I'll do my best to get the next part out as soon as I can.

Do people even read A/N's anymore? Probably not mine because I make 'em long as balls. That's okay though.

Yes, Hanji ships Riren/Ereri. That is totally relevant and necessary. Also, I guess Rivaille seemed to overreact, but there's a story behind that. (I just don't know what it is yet, hah.)

If you enjoyed it, feel free to let me know. Your input really helps me know if I'm going in the right direction. Also, it keeps me motivated to continue writing. Thank you so much for reading this. See you in the next installment. :)

P.S. The Outsiders, anyone? No? Okay. ._.


	3. Chapter 3

Hell if I know how gay sex works. I'm awkward as heck, so sorry.

* * *

Eren's breath hitched as he felt Rivaille's fingers ghost over the waistband of his underpants. Eyelids squeezing shut, his hands gripped the sides of the lounger to the point where the bone white of his knuckles shone. He felt a single digit slink beneath the band and caress the base of his dick. Biting hard on the bottom of his lip, he held his breath to stifle the moan building in the back of his throat.

Rivaille stared at Eren all the while, taking in his reactions. The kid was shaking like a leaf. Maybe he shouldn't be doing this after all? With his free hand, he cupped the side of Eren's face and comfortingly stroked his cheek with his thumb.

"Eren. Eren, open your eyes." Turquoise irises beneath fluttering lashes hesitatingly peered at him. "Relax, breathe. You look like you're about to shit yourself. Are you _really_ sure you want this?"

He gawked at him. Of freaking course he did. He would die from frustration if they stopped now.

"I-I…um…" he stammered.

Rivaille sensed his hesitation. _I said I could…I said I would…no, _will _stop._ Taking a deep breath, he began withdrawing his hand, only to be stopped by a clamoring grip at his wrist. He quirked his brow, giving a questioning look.

"Ah! No, wait!" _Shit, shit, shit._ Did he fuck up his chance? "Please," he whimpered. "It's…I've never done anything like this before, so I don't know how to act." Eren grabbed Rivaille's hand in both of his and pressed his forehead against it. "Please…"

_Oh, so that's what it was._ Though it's been decades since he was last with someone, he'll admit that he used to have the occasional lay. But, it was always with people that had _experience_ and none were as young as Eren. He didn't like being bothered with teaching. After what he had been through, he'd had more one night stands than he was proud to admit.

But Eren. Oh, precious little Eren. _His_ Eren. Though, he supposed Eren wasn't exactly little in height. But, a small detail like that was of no consequence.

It was the one time he was a bit glad that he was with an innocent. To have had any other pig put their filthy meat stubs on Eren…he'd be tempted to hunt down each and every one of them. He knew it was unreasonable, even hypocritical of him to have such thoughts, but he couldn't help himself; he'd never wanted…needed anything or anyone so much in his life before. With Eren, he wouldn't mind guiding the boy. He wouldn't mind taking his time, going slowly, gently.

He carefully lifted the brunet's head to face him. Rivaille didn't like the distressed look on his face; it forced an uncomfortable weight to slither its way into his chest.

Giving Eren's cheek a soft pat, he murmured, "Don't be nervous. Don't worry. I've got you…I've got you…" He leaned in and tenderly pressed a kiss against the boy's delicate lips.

It was a chaste kiss, no tongue; he simply allowed Eren to return the contact on his own.

Eren was shocked that the sudden gentleness of Rivaille's lips on his, but then he wanted more. He wanted the taste of Rivaille on his tongue. Slightly parting his mouth, he slipped his tongue out and pressed it against on the man's lips, trying to pry them apart. Rivaille easily yielded and let Eren's warmth slide into his mouth.

He brushed the inside of his cheek and glided across his roof until finally settling against rough taste buds. Eren pressed his face deeper into Rivaille's and began sucking on his still tongue. Shortness of breath was getting to him so he breathed through his nose, smiling to himself that he remembered. But then he realized that he was the only one doing the kissing and a discontented whine wormed its way up.

A soft chuckle passed Rivaille's lips at the boy's bellyaching. He assumed that meant he could take control now. Snaking an arm around his waist, he pulled their bodies snug against each other and deepened their kiss, eliciting a low moan from Eren.

"Mmm…Rivaille…" He seriously could not get enough of the way Eren said his name.

Rivaille licked Eren's bottom lip and captured it between his teeth, biting softly. He gave it one last suck before trailing kissing along his jaw and onto his neck. He lapped his tongue against his Adam's apple and across the firm cord of neck muscle, leaving a sprinkling of marks.

His hand found the side of Eren's waist and fingered his hipbone as if asking for consent to continue further. At Eren's mumble of approval, he slipped his hand beneath his trousers and palmed his already hard length.

Eren couldn't help but gasp at the sensation of surprisingly cool, delicate fingers on him. He bit the inside of his cheek and buried his face in the crook of Rivaille's neck as he had begun slowly running his hand along him. His pants started feeling constricting and he wiggled his hips to try and relieve the pressure.

"Mmn…hips…lift up your hips," Rivaille murmured between peppering kisses on his mouth, face, and neck.

He moved quickly to comply, stumbling slightly and letting out a shuddering breath when his movement caused Rivaille to accidentally yank a bit harder on his dick. Rivaille easily pulled off his pants along with his underwear, freeing his length from its confines.

Suddenly, Eren felt self-conscious about being exposed. His hands traveled to cover himself but were swatted away by Rivaille's.

"No, let me see you."

"Ahhh, but it's so embarrassing!" he complained.

"Pfft," he uttered, amused. "You're embarrassed now?"

"I-huff-" Rivaille had started pumping him faster, his grip firmer. "A-ah…at least…I want to see you t-too."

Rivaille gave an appreciative hum. "Hmm…fine."

He separated himself from Eren and stood up, earning a discontented whine from the brunet. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a pleased smirk.

Eren could only stare transfixed as Rivaille gradually – _or rather sensually_ – dragged his hand up his body as he stripped off his shirt. And _holy shit_ he was way more toned than Eren had expected. He knew he was fit, but _damn_. Feeling slightly inadequate next to the man, he curled his legs against his chest and wrapped his arms around himself.

"Oi, hey, what did I tell you," Rivaille remarked, pointing at Eren's ball-like state.

He merely made a disgruntled noise in reply and flung himself over the plush lounger, draping his body along it.

Chuckling at Eren's melodrama, he swiftly shed himself of his pants, making sure to neatly fold his articles of clothing before returning to the boy's side.

The kid was face down and sprawled over the recliner. Any inclination of him actually acknowledging Rivaille's presence was only the slight flinch he made when he placed a hand on Eren's hip. Okay, that was all well and fine with Rivaille. Two could play at this game.

Tightly grabbing both sides of Eren's hip, he pressed his dick flush against the boy's entrance, as if he were truly going to enter just like that.

Eren froze. He swore he had a heart aneurysm that very moment. His lungs seized up and he ceased to breathe.

The moment his insides decided to properly function again, he tried to twist his body around and sputtered, "U-uh! Y-you! What!"

Rivaille let out a tiny snicker, "Heh, got your attention now?"

He moved and scooted himself next to Eren.

"Y-you think?!" he exclaimed, "Scared the crap out of me!"

Wrapping an arm around the boy's lower torso, he pulled him closer, nuzzling him affectionately.

"At least you're less anxious now, yeah?" he breathed, kissing Eren's collarbone.

"Um…I guess?" he replied slowly, hesitantly returning the embrace.

Was this Rivaille's way of trying to comfort him? Thinking back to the time they first met, he remembered that the man was kind of lacking in the department of tactful socializing. And the thought that Rivaille was even making an attempt – albeit maybe with unorthodox methods – warmed his heart to the very core.

Feeling a rush of confidence, he hugged Rivaille back with greater conviction and dared to press both of their lengths together, running his fingers along Rivaille's. The man's mouth was pressed into the crook of his neck and Eren felt his moan reverberate throughout his entire body.

"Mmmn-!" he had vocalized into Eren's warm, slightly sweaty neck, trying his best not to bite down hard.

Damn kid had some guts; he had taken Rivaille completely by surprise. Not one to be bested, he hoisted the boy up, one arm supporting beneath his butt and the other around his waist. Eren automatically wrapped his arms around Rivaille's neck and hooked his legs around his hips.

'Bed' was the only thing Rivaille grunted as he carried Eren through one of the arched doorways.

Of course, Eren, being the hormonal teenager he was, could not even wait until they were in the room. It was because every time Rivaille took a step, their dicks would rub up against each other, rough and hot, and gods it just felt _so_ _fucking_ _good_. He couldn't help but let his shaking fingers wrap around the both of them and pump until his hand was slicked with his own pre-come, moaning into Rivaille's ear all the while.

"A-ahn…mmn…R-Rivaille…" he panted.

"Shit!" he hissed, stumbling and banging his forearm against the wall of the hallway, barely managing to catch himself. "Damn it, Eren! Do you want me to drop you?"

"N-no, sorry," he apologized in a shaky voice, instantly withdrawing his hand and pressing it against his own chest, keeping it as far away from Rivaille as possible.

The kid looked so damn remorseful that Rivaille felt like a fucking monster for even raising his voice at him.

He sighed heavily, "No, you have nothing to apologize for. I'm sorry for yelling at you, but have a little patience, yeah? I don't have as much self-control as you may assume of me."

He returned his arm to Eren's waist and continued to the room. Once inside, he gently placed Eren onto the lavish, silken sheets of the king-sized bed. The plush bed dipped under his weight as Rivaille situated himself on top of the boy.

Starting from his lips, he kissed Eren and leisurely made his way down to his chest, taking one of his nipples into his mouth, sucking hard, and fingers playing with the other.

"Haah…aah…Rivaille…Rivaille…"

He continued trailing kisses lower and lower until his lips found the tip of his erect penis. Grabbing it in one hand, he flicked his tongue out, giving it a quick lick.

"Ah! W-whoa! Wait! T-that's dirty!" Eren waved his hands about and tried to push Rivaille's face away from his crotch, but the man refused to budge.

"_Eren_," he growled, "I don't care. I was wrong. If it's you, it's not dirty. I know this may be asking for a lot, but won't you give me just a bit of your trust?"

"I…" he hesitated.

Trusting someone was extremely difficult for Eren. It was something that was earned, not given. He had previously trusted his father to take care of them and look where that got him. But this person in front of him – this dragon – Rivaille…was not his father and had done nothing undeserving of his trust. He had saved his life, his sister's life, and now…here they were.

It was probably against his better judgment, but he whispered, "Okay…"

And there it was – the smile that made Eren swoon and feel that certainly, definitely, he must have made the right decision.

Eren pressed his forearm to his face, covering it, because surely he was a bright shade of red.

However, it was immediately removed with a mumbled 'let me see you' breathed right against his crotch, causing a shiver to run down his spine.

Rivaille took Eren into his mouth, his tongue flicking over the tip, causing Eren to gasp and jerk in response. He licked the bottom side of his dick from the tip all the way to the base until all of him was in his mouth and the coarse hairs tickled his nose. He inhaled a scent that was wholly Eren.

His hand moved to massage his balls while continuing to suck him off, drawing out soft moans and whimpers from the boy. He was close, he could tell; Eren was twitching in his mouth.

"Nnn-aah…Ri-Rivaille…pl-please move…I-I'm-" His hands cupped the man's cheeks, once again trying to push him away, but they were shaking and it was impossible for him to put any real force in his thrusts.

A hand reached out and grabbed his wrist. Rivaille stared up at him with a look in his eyes that seemed to say 'trust me'.

How could he refuse him when he looked at him like that? Eren stopped squirming and lay back, relinquishing himself entirely to the man before him. It was not much longer when his whole body trembled and he came hot and heavy into Rivaille's mouth.

Rivaille sucked on his tip and swallowed every last bit of him, even going as far as licking him clean.

Eren lay there feeling exhausted, amazing, absolutely incredible. But then the thought struck him – Rivaille hadn't come yet – and he shot up straight, nearly bumping into aforementioned man.

"Whoa! Eren, what's wrong?" he breathed, shocked by Eren's sudden movement.

"You – I-I didn't…I need to…" he blubbered, upset.

He scrambled to place his face by Rivaille's crotch but was promptly grabbed by the shoulders and stopped. His forehead was pressed up against Rivaille's, their faces so close that he could feel the man's breath fan on his lips and cheeks.

"Eren," he started, "you don't have to do anything in return. You don't owe me anything. I _wanted_ to do this, alright? It was my fault in the first place, anyway. So just relax, rest."

Ever so carefully, he lowered Eren back down to the bed, wrapping the boy in a tight embrace and pressing his face against his chest. The smooth sheets were pulled over the both of them and Rivaille tenderly ran the back of his hand along Eren's back in a gentle caress.

Closing his eyes, he rested his head against the man and snuggled closer, draping an arm around his torso. Eren exhaled deeply, letting the stress of the past two weeks bleed through his body.

Never had he ever felt as relaxed as he did now, in the arms of this person, and he wished that they could stay like this forever.

* * *

Mmm, yeah, so they didn't really do it, but I just felt like it was better this way because come on, this is like the second time they met. Besides, I haven't actually revealed Eren's true age.

Anyway, I had a crapload of trouble with this chapter and wrote it over the course of a few days. I really have no idea how to write smut so yeah. Apologies for that as well as the shortness of the length.

So that's that. Thanks again for all of your faves/follows/reviews for this story. Really, you guys probably have no idea of the extent of how happy reading your reviews makes me. (Ha, says a lot about my social life.)

/sigh I don't know when I'm going to start the next chapter, but hopefully I'll be able to find some time to write it.


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